Systems and methods for diagnosing secondary weld errors

ABSTRACT

A controller for a welding system adapted to determine a value of a weld secondary parameter across a weld secondary component based on a sensed parameter is provided. The controller may also be adapted to compare the determined value to a reference value range and to alert a user to a presence and location of a weld secondary error when the determined value is outside the referenced value range.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a Non-Provisional Patent Application of U.S.Provisional Patent Application No. 61/186,175, entitled “Weld SecondaryDiagnostics”, filed Jun. 11, 2009, which is herein incorporated byreference.

BACKGROUND

The invention relates generally to welding systems, and, moreparticularly, to systems and methods for diagnosing an error in a weldsecondary component of a welding system.

Welding is a process that has become ubiquitous in various industriesand applications, such as construction, ship building, and so forth.Welding systems typically include a variety of secondary components,which may include secondary cabling as well as secondary equipment. Suchsecondary components may include welding torches, weld fixturing, weldcables, and so forth, the quality of which may impact the quality of theweld obtained in a welding operation. Unfortunately, the high currentlevels associated with typical welding processes often lead todegradation of the secondary cabling and/or equipment over time. Forexample, the number of operational strands of copper, or their integritywithin a weld cable may be reduced over time by environmental factorsand incidences, such as the weld cabling being run over by constructionvehicles.

While a decrease in weld quality may be observed when the weld isimpacted by such weld secondary issues, it is often difficult and timeconsuming to identify the root cause as the weld secondary issue. Forinstance, because copper strands are located within an insulation jacketof the weld cable, it may be difficult to readily identify weld cablingas the source of the observed decrease in weld quality. Furthermore,even when weld secondary equipment has been identified as the source ofthe poor weld quality, it may be difficult to determine which secondaryweld component is the underlying source. Accordingly, there exists aneed for improved systems and methods for the identification andlocation of weld secondary issues.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

In an exemplary embodiment, a controller for a welding system is adaptedto determine one or more of a weld cabling parameter, a weld torchparameter, a rotary ground parameter, a fixturing parameter, and aworkpiece parameter and to compare, depending upon the parameterdetermined, one or more of the weld cabling parameter to a firstreference value, the weld torch parameter to a second reference value,the rotary ground parameter to a third reference value, the fixturingparameter to a fourth reference value, and the workpiece parameter to afifth reference value. The controller is also adapted to determine,depending upon the parameter determined, whether there is a differencebetween one or more of the weld cabling parameter and the firstreference value, the weld torch parameter and the second referencevalue, the rotary ground parameter and the third reference value, thefixturing parameter and the fourth reference value, and the workpieceparameter and the fifth reference value. The controller is also adaptedto alert an operator to a presence and location of a weld secondaryerror when there is a determined difference between at least one of theweld cabling parameter and the first reference value, the weld torchparameter and the second reference value, the rotary ground parameterand the third reference value, the fixturing parameter and the fourthreference value, or the workpiece parameter and the fifth referencevalue.

In another embodiment, a controller for a welding system is adapted toreceive an initial sensed parameter while a welding torch tip is shortedto a weld secondary component, determine, based on the initial sensedparameter, an initial value of the initial sensed parameter of the weldsecondary component, time stamp the determined initial value of thesensed parameter, and store the time stamped determined initial value ofthe sensed parameter to a memory. The controller is also adapted toreceive a second sensed parameter while the welding torch tip is shortedto the weld secondary component and determine, time stamp, and store asecond value of the second sensed parameter of the weld secondarycomponent. The controller is also adapted to compare the time stampeddetermined initial value of the initial sensed parameter to the timestamped determined second value of the second sensed parameter, and toalert a user to a presence and location of a weld secondary componenterror when there is a difference between the initial value of theinitial sensed parameter and the second value of the second sensedparameter.

In another embodiment, a controller for a welding system is adapted todetermine a value in a weld secondary parameter across a weld secondarycomponent based on a sensed parameter, to compare the determined valueto a reference value range, and to alert a user to a presence andlocation of a weld secondary error when the determined value is outsidethe referenced value range.

DRAWINGS

These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the presentinvention will become better understood when the following detaileddescription is read with reference to the accompanying drawings in whichlike characters represent like parts throughout the drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustrating an exemplary welding system inaccordance with embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating exemplary components of thewelding power source of FIG. 1 in accordance with embodiments of thepresent invention;

FIG. 3 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary method that may beutilized by a weld controller to determine a presence and location of anerror in a weld secondary component in accordance with embodiments ofthe present invention;

FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary method of testing for one or more weldsecondary errors via the acquisition of one or more suitablemeasurements, the time stamping of such measurements, and the logging ofthe acquired data in accordance with embodiments of the presentinvention; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating an exemplary test contact thatmay be utilized with the welding system of FIG. 1 in accordance withembodiments of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As described in detail below, embodiments are provided of systems andmethods that may be utilized to identify the existence of an errorassociated with secondary weld cabling and/or equipment. Such systemsand methods may also provide the ability to identify a location of thesecondary weld error and to communicate such a location to a weldingoperator. That is, embodiments of the present invention may provide forboth detection of errors in weld secondary cables/equipment and theidentification of the cause and/or location of such errors. In someembodiments, a weld controller may be provided such that the acquiredmeasurements and error information may be communicated to the weldingoperator. For example, in such embodiments, the operator may inputinformation regarding the length and size of weld cabling, a weldingtorch manufacturer, a welding torch model number, and so forth, whichmay be utilized by the weld controller to determine whether the acquiredmeasurements are within an acceptable range for the given weldingequipment. Still further, in some embodiments, the weld controller maybe configured to track changes in one or more measured voltage dropsassociated with secondary weld cabling/equipment over time and alert theoperator to changes that may represent degradation of one or more weldcomponents.

Turning now to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates a welding system 10including a welding power source 12, a wire feeder 14, a welding torch16, and a workpiece 18 positioned on fixturing 20 with rotary ground 22.In the illustrated embodiment, a positive weld lead 24 couples apositive terminal 26 of the welding power source 12 to the wire feeder14. A positive sense lead 28 is disposed between the welding powersource 12 and the wire feeder 14. A cable 30 couples the wire feeder tothe welding torch 16. Similarly, a negative weld lead 32 couples anegative terminal 34 of the welding power source 12 to the rotary ground22, and a negative sense lead 36 is disposed between the welding powersource 12 and the rotary ground 22.

During operation, the welding power source 12 is configured to providepower to the welding torch 16 through the wire feeder 14, which provideswire for the welding operation. Further, during use, a welding operatorutilizes the welding torch 16 to weld the workpiece 18. While welding,high current levels associated with the welding process may degrade thesecondary cabling/equipment, and after many welding cycles, degradationof the secondary cabling/equipment may impact the quality of the weld.As such, embodiments of the present invention provide for testingincluding shorting of the welding torch 16 at a variety of predeterminedlocations and sensing of voltage during such shorting. Such sensedvoltages may be utilized by a weld controller to determine a variety ofdesired voltage drops levels. The voltage drop levels may besubsequently communicated to the welding operator for identification ofone or more secondary weld errors and the associated locations of sucherrors, as described in detail below.

For example, the torch 16 may be shorted to a first location 38 locatedat a connection between the negative weld lead 36 and the rotary ground22. The torch 16 may also be shorted at a second location 40 located atthe fixturing side of the rotary ground 22. Still further, the torch 16may be shorted at a third location 42 located on the workpiece and afourth location 44 located on the fixturing. It should be noted that inadditional embodiments, the torch 16 may be shorted at additionallocations, such as at any suitable location on the workpiece 18 and anysuitable location on the fixturing 20. Indeed, in some embodiments, thetorch 16 may be shorted at multiple locations on the workpiece 18 and/orthe fixturing 20. The voltages sensed during such shorts may be utilizedby a controller to determine and/or communicate one or more weldsecondary errors and the locations of such errors to the weldingoperator.

FIG. 2 illustrates exemplary components of the welding power source 12of FIG. 1. In the illustrated embodiment, the welding power source 12includes a user interface 46, a controller 48, a processor 50, memory52, interface circuitry 54, and power conversion circuitry 56. Duringuse, the power conversion circuitry 56 is configured to receive primarypower from a primary source, such as a wall outlet, a power grid, and soforth, and to convert such power to an appropriate welding output fortransfer to the welding torch 16. The processor 50 is configured toreceive a variety of inputs regarding wire feeder operation, userchoices, voltage feedback, current feedback, power feedback, resistancefeedback, inductance feedback, and so forth, to process such inputs, andto generate a variety of suitable outputs that guide operation of thewelding power source 12. For example, the interface circuitry 54 mayreceive feedback from one or more external devices (e.g., wire feeder14, auxiliary devices, etc.), communicate such feedback to the processor50, receive an output signal from the processor 50, and communicate sucha signal to the one or more external devices.

Still further, the processor 50 may receive user inputs from the userinterface 46 regarding the welding operation. For example, the processor50 may receive commands regarding the chosen welding process, parametersof the welding process (e.g., current level, voltage level, etc.), andso forth and process such inputs. The processor 50 may also receive oneor more inputs from the controller 48, which may be configured toexecute one or more algorithms utilized to guide the welding processand/or any other functions of the welding power source 12. For example,in one embodiment, the controller 48 may execute a series of commands todetermine the presence and location of one or more errors in thesecondary weld cabling/equipment. Acquired measurement data may then becommunicated to the processor via interface circuitry 54, which mayprocess the received information to determine the occurrence of one ormore secondary errors and their associated locations. Such informationmay be communicated to the user, for example, via user interface 46. Tothat end, user interface 46 may communicate the presence and/or locationof the one or more detected weld secondary errors via visual cues (e.g.,light illumination, display panel message, etc.), audio cues (e.g.,error message recites error), or any other suitable communicationmechanism.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart 58 illustrating an exemplary method that may beutilized by the weld controller to determine the presence and locationof an error in the weld secondary cabling and/or equipment. The method58 includes short circuiting a tip of the torch to a negative weld leadconnection at the rotary ground location (block 60), which isrepresented as the first location 38 in FIG. 1. Power may then be runthrough the shorted circuit (block 62), and the voltage may be sensed(block 64). Since the voltage at the studs of the welder may be sensed,and additional voltages may be sensed via the positive sense lead 28 andthe negative sense lead 36, a voltage drop across the cables may bedetermined (block 66) via the following equation:

V_Cable=V_Stud−V_Sense,   (1)

in which V_Cable is the sum of the positive and negative voltage dropsof the cables, V_Stud is the voltage across the output of the weldingpower source, and V_Sense is the remotely sensed voltage.

The controller may then check if the calculated cable voltage drop,V_Cable, is within a desired range (block 68). That is, in someembodiments, the user may input parameters associated with the secondaryweld equipment and cabling prior to welding, and such information may beutilized by the controller to determine an acceptable voltage droprange. Such input parameters may include but are not limited to thelength and size of the negative weld lead cable, the length and size ofthe positive weld lead cable, the torch manufacturer, the torch modelnumber, length of torch cable, and so forth. For further example, in oneembodiment, determining if the cable voltage drop is within a desiredrange may include comparing the calculated V_Cable to a lookup tableincluding a variety of suitable ranges based on a number of known inputfactors. Still further, a determination of whether the cable voltagedrop is within a desired range may include comparing V_Cable to anysuitable reference value, such as a reference voltage drop acquired whenthe welding components have been purchased but not yet used for welding,when the welding system is commissioned, when the quality of the weld isobserved to be acceptable, and so forth.

If V_Cable is determined to be within the desired range, the controllermay continue to determine a voltage drop (V_Torch) across the weldingtorch (block 70), which may be equal to approximately V_Sense.Alternatively, if V_Cable is not within the desired range, thecontroller may alert the user (block 72) as to the presence and locationof the secondary error. After alerting the user, the controller may thendetermine the voltage drop across the welding torch (block 70) asbefore. The controller may inquire as to whether V_Torch is within adesired range (block 74), as determined by previously received inputsfrom the operator. If V_Torch is within the desired range, the torch tipmay then be moved and shorted to the fixturing side of the rotaryground, as represented by the second location 40 in FIG. 1, and thevoltage may be sensed (block 76) to obtain a V_Sense2 value. If V_torchis not within the desired range, the user may be alerted of the weldsecondary error and location (block 78) before additional measurementsare taken. In this way, a voltage drop across the rotary ground,V_RotaryGround may be determined (block 80) via the following equation:

V_RotaryGround=V_Sense2−V_Torch.   (2)

After determining V_RotaryGround, the controller may check whetherV_RotaryGround is within the predetermined desired range for the givenwelding equipment (block 82). If V_RotaryGround is within the desiredrange, the torch tip may be shorted to the fixturing, as represented bythe fourth location 44 in FIG. 1, and the voltage may again be sensed toobtain V_Sense3 (block 84). If V_RotaryGround is not within the desiredrange, the user may be alerted (block 86) before shorting the torch tipto the fixturing. The voltage drop across the fixturing, V_Fixturing,may then be determined (block 88) according to the following equation:

V_Fixturing=V_Sense3−V_Torch−V_RotaryGround.   (3)

After determining V_Fixturing, the controller may check whetherV_Fixturing is within the predetermined desired range for the givenwelding equipment (block 90). If V_Fixturing is within the desiredrange, the torch tip may be shorted to the workpiece, as represented bythe third location 42 in FIG. 1, and the voltage may again be sensed toobtain V_Sense4 (block 92). If V_Fixturing is not within the desiredrange, the user may be alerted (block 94) before shorting the torch tipto the workpiece. The voltage drop across the workpiece, V_Workpiece,may then be determined (block 96) according to the following equation:

V_Workpiece=V_Sense4−V_Torch−V_RotaryGround−V_Fixturing.   (4)

The controller may then check if V_Workpiece is within a desired rangeas predetermined based on input parameters (block 98). If V_Workpiece isnot within the desired range, the user is again alerted (block 100) andinformed of the presence and location of the weld secondary error.Alternatively, if V_Workpiece is within the desired range, thecontroller compiles the acquired data and communicates such informationto the user (block 102), for example, through user interface 46. Assuch, embodiments of the present invention may allow for both detectionof a weld secondary error as well as determination of a locationassociated with the secondary weld error.

In the embodiments illustrated, one or more voltage drops are determinedbased on measured voltages. However, it should be noted that in furtherembodiments, a variety of parameters other than voltage may be employedas well. For instance, the measured parameter may include voltage,resistance, power, current, inductance, any other suitable parameter, orany combination of suitable parameters. Still further, the method 58described in detail above may be subject to various modifications duringimplementation. For example, additional measurements not specificallyreferred to in method 58 may be acquired in some embodiments, while instill further embodiments, only some of the illustrated measurements maybe acquired. For instance, the torch may be shorted to a variety ofpositions on the workpiece and/or the fixturing to determine thepresence and location of a weld secondary error. Still further, thewelding power source may be further configured to store the acquireddata either at the end of the method 58 or each time a new measurementis acquired during implementation of the method 58.

FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary method 104 of testing for one or moreweld secondary errors via the acquisition of one or more suitablemeasurements, the time stamping of such measurements, and the subsequentlogging of the acquired data. As such, the method 104 may be utilized tocompare data from a first installation of welding equipment to dataacquired after a predetermined use period, which may be defined by apreset period of time (e.g., monthly), a preset number of welds, or anyother suitable use period. As such, one or more log tables may be storedin the system memory and periodically accessed to compare currentlyacquired measurements to previously acquired measurements. Anydifferences in such measurements may be indicative of a weld secondaryerror and, accordingly, may be communicated to the user via the userinterface.

The method 104 begins with an initial series of measurements, which maytypically be acquired at installation of the welding system or any othersuitable reference point. As such, the method 104 includes shorting thetorch tip to the negative weld lead connection to the rotary ground(block 106) and running power through the short circuit (block 108). Thevoltage may then be sensed and a voltage drop across the welding cablesis determined (block 110). The acquired voltage drop in the weldingcables is then time stamped (block 112) and stored to memory (block114). As such, the first acquired welding cable voltage drop measurementmay be later identified as a base point for comparison to latermeasurements. For example, if later welding cable voltage dropmeasurements substantially exceed the base measurement value, a weldsecondary issue in the welding cables may be identified by thecontroller and communicated to the user.

The illustrated method 104 further includes determining the voltage dropacross the welding torch, time stamping such data, and storing the timestamped data to memory (blocks 116 and 118). As before, the initiallyacquired welding torch voltage drop may be utilized as a base point forfuture comparisons. The torch tip may be further shorted to thefixturing side of the rotary ground and the voltage may be sensed again(block 120). Subsequently, the sensed voltage may be utilized by thecontroller to determine, time stamp, and store a value for the voltagedrop across the rotary ground (block 122), which may also be utilized asa base point for the comparison against future measurements that may beacquired.

The illustrated method 104 also includes shorting the torch tip to thefixturing and again sensing the voltage (block 124). The sensed voltagemay then be utilized by the controller to determine, time stamp, andstore a value for the voltage drop across the fixturing (block 126). Thetorch tip may then be shorted to the workpiece, at which point thevoltage is again sensed (block 128), and a value for the voltage dropacross the workpiece is determined, time stamped, and stored (block130). Such values for the voltage drop across the fixturing and thevoltage drop across the workpiece may be stored as base values forcomparison to measurements acquired at a later point in time.

After the base voltage drop values have been established, for example,after the initial installation of the welding system, the welding systemmay be used for a predetermined use period before the welding system isretested (block 132). For example, some welding systems may be retestedafter a predetermined period of time. For instance, such welding systemsmay be tested monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, or any other suitabletime period. For further example, some welding systems may be retestedafter a certain number of welds have been performed, regardless of thetime that has elapsed since the prior testing. After acquisition of thedata as before, the new measurements are compared to the previouslyacquired base measurements (block 134) and the user is alerted to anydifferences (block 136). Such a cycle may be repeated as desired tocontinually monitor the welding system for any possible weld secondaryerrors that may occur due to degradation over time or other factors. Ofcourse, the system allows for testing at any time, such as when anoticeable degradation has occurred in the quality of welds or in theapparent performance of the welding system.

In certain embodiments, the system may be configured to communicate theresults of the testing round as well as any comparisons to previouslyobtained data to the user via a variety of suitable mechanisms. Forinstance, the system may be configured to analyze the data and output amessage to the user indicating that the computed differences are withinor are outside a desired range. Still further, the system may beconfigured to generate graphs or charts illustrating the changes in theacquired measurements from the base value over time. Indeed, the systemsdisclosed herein may employ any suitable communication mechanisms todisplay and/or communicate the accumulated data to the user.

FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary test contact 138 that may be positionedat any suitable location in the welding system 10 of FIG. 1 to establishand maintain good contact between a tip of the welding torch 16 and themeasurement location (e.g., the workpiece, the fixturing, etc.). In theillustrated embodiment, the test contact 138 includes a base portion 140with apertures 142 and projections 144. During use, the apertures may beutilized by the operator to secure the test contact 138 to the desiredtesting location via bolts, screws, and so forth. In some embodiments,the projections 144 are configured to interface with the contact tip ofthe welding torch, thus ensuring good contact between the welding torchand the desired measurement location. As such, the point of contactbetween the welding torch and the desired measurement location mayremain consistent between measurements. In some embodiments, theforegoing feature may have the effect of reducing or eliminatingvariations in the torch voltage between measurements.

While only certain features of the invention have been illustrated anddescribed herein, many modifications and changes will occur to thoseskilled in the art. It is, therefore, to be understood that the appendedclaims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes as fallwithin the true spirit of the invention.

1. A controller for a welding system, configured to: determine one ormore of a weld cabling parameter, a weld torch parameter, a rotaryground parameter, a fixturing parameter, and a workpiece parameter;compare, depending upon the parameter determined, one or more of theweld cabling parameter to a first reference value, the weld torchparameter to a second reference value, the rotary ground parameter to athird reference value, the fixturing parameter to a fourth referencevalue, and the workpiece parameter to a fifth reference value; anddetermine, depending upon the parameter determined, whether there is adifference between one or more of the weld cabling parameter and thefirst reference value, the weld torch parameter and the second referencevalue, the rotary ground parameter and the third reference value, thefixturing parameter and the fourth reference value, and the workpieceparameter and the fifth reference value.
 2. The controller of claim 1,further configured to alert an operator to a presence and location of aweld secondary error when there is a determined difference between atleast one of the weld cabling parameter and the first reference value,the weld torch parameter and the second reference value, the rotaryground parameter and the third reference value, the fixturing parameterand the fourth reference value, or the workpiece parameter and the fifthreference value.
 3. The controller of claim 1, wherein the parameter isat least one of a voltage, a current, a power, a resistance, aconductance, and an inductance.
 4. The controller of claim 2, whereinthe controller is configured to alert the operator to the presence andlocation of the weld secondary error via a user interface located on awelding power source.
 5. The controller of claim 1, wherein thecontroller is further configured to store the determined weld cablingparameter, the determined weld torch parameter, the determined rotaryground parameter, the determined fixturing parameter, and/or thedetermined workpiece parameter to a memory.
 6. The controller of claim2, wherein alerting the operator to the presence and location of theweld secondary error comprises warning the operator if a parameter ofone or more secondary components exceeds a reference value.
 7. Thecontroller of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured toreceive one or more inputs from a user regarding at least one of anegative weld lead length, a negative weld lead size, a positive weldlead length, a positive weld lead size, a welding torch manufacturer, awelding torch model number, and a welding torch length, and to determinethe first reference value, the second reference value, the thirdreference value, the fourth reference value, and/or the fifth referencevalue based on the one or more inputs received from the user.
 8. Thecontroller of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured todetermine the first reference value, the second reference value, thethird reference value, the fourth reference value, and/or the fifthreference value based on a measured value of the weld cabling parameter,the weld torch parameter, the rotary ground parameter, the fixturingparameter, and/or the workpiece parameter, respectively, acquired at aprior time.
 9. The controller of claim 1, wherein determining the one ormore parameters comprises shorting a welding torch tip to a test contactdisposed on a weld secondary component.
 10. The controller of claim 9,wherein the test contact comprises one or more projections configured tomaintain contact between the welding torch tip and the weld secondarycomponent.
 11. A controller for a welding system, configured to: receivean initial sensed parameter while a welding torch tip is shorted to aweld secondary component; determine, based on the initial sensedparameter, an initial value of the initial sensed parameter of the weldsecondary component; time stamp the determined initial value of thesensed parameter; store the time stamped determined initial value of thesensed parameter to a memory; receive a second sensed parameter whilethe welding torch tip is shorted to the weld secondary component;determine, time stamp, and store a second value of the second sensedparameter of the weld secondary component; compare the time stampeddetermined initial value of the initial sensed parameter to the timestamped determined second value of the second sensed parameter; andalert a user to a presence and location of a weld secondary componenterror when there is a difference between the initial value of theinitial sensed parameter and the second value of the second sensedparameter.
 12. The controller of claim 11, wherein the initial sensedparameter and the second sensed parameter are at least one of a voltage,a current, a power, a resistance, a conductance, and an inductance. 13.The controller of claim 11, wherein the controller is further configuredto display one or more plots comparing the initial value of the initialsensed parameter to the second value of the second sensed parameter. 14.The controller of claim 11, wherein the weld secondary component is atleast one of weld cabling, a welding torch, a rotary ground, weldfixturing, and a welding workpiece.
 15. The controller of claim 11,further configured to receive one or more inputs from a user regardingat least one of a negative weld lead length, a negative weld lead size,a positive weld lead length, a positive weld lead size, a welding torchmanufacturer, a welding torch model number, and a welding torch lengthand to determine a reference range for the second sensed parameter. 16.The controller of claim 15, further configured to compare the seconddrop in the second sensed parameter to the determined reference range.17. The controller of claim 16, further configured to alert the userwhen the second drop in the second sensed parameter is not within thereference range.
 18. The controller of claim 11, wherein shorting thewelding tip to the weld secondary component comprises inserting thewelding tip into a test contact disposed on the weld secondarycomponent.
 19. A controller for a welding system, configured to:determine a value of a weld secondary parameter across a weld secondarycomponent based on a sensed parameter; compare the determined value to areference value range; and alert a user to a presence and location of aweld secondary error when the determined value is outside the referencedvalue range.
 20. The controller of claim 19, further configured toreceive one or more inputs from a user regarding at least one of anegative weld lead length, a negative weld lead size, a positive weldlead length, a positive weld lead size, a welding torch manufacturer, awelding torch model number, and a welding torch length and to determinethe reference value range based on the one or more inputs.
 21. Thecontroller of claim 19, wherein the reference range value is determinedbased on a measured value of an initial drop in the weld secondaryparameter across the weld secondary component based on the sensedparameter at a prior time.
 22. The controller of claim 19, wherein theweld secondary parameter is at least one of a voltage, a current, apower, a resistance, a conductance, and an inductance.
 23. Thecontroller of claim 19, wherein the weld secondary component is at leastone of weld cabling, a welding torch, a rotary ground, weld fixturing,and a welding workpiece.
 24. The controller of claim 19, furtherconfigured to store the determined value in the weld secondary parameterto a memory.
 25. The controller of claim 19, wherein the sensedparameter is acquired via shorting of a welding torch tip to the weldsecondary component via a test contact.
 26. A welding system,comprising: a welding power supply; a welding torch coupled to thewelding power supply via a torch cable; a fixture configured to secure aworkpiece in a welding location; a ground cable coupled to the weldingpower supply and at least one of the fixture and the workpiece; and atleast one test contact disposed on at least one of the fixture and theworkpiece for determining at least one of a weld cabling parameter, aweld torch parameter, a rotary ground parameter, a fixturing parameter,and a workpiece parameter.
 27. The welding system of claim 26, whereinthe test contact comprises one or more projections configured to receivea tip of the welding torch.
 28. The welding system of claim 26, whereinthe test contact comprises one or more apertures configured to receiveone or more securement members.